School of War

"We remember mighty little of all that rubbish. Anyway, it has never been the slightest use to us.  At school nobody ever taught us how to light a cigarette in a storm of rain, nor how a fire could be made with wet wood--nor that it is best to stick a bayonet in the belly because there it doesn't get jammed, as it does in the ribs"

This quote is directly related to the major theme of the use of innocent teenagers in the war. There are so many times this theme is brought up that it could almost be a possible summary. This quote brings the time in their life when they were in school. The wider context relates to their old teacher Kantorek and his romanticizing of war when he should've been teaching them how to survive and experience the little bit pleasure - of a flame - in the darker times.

I think this quote is very powerful in that school is something we've all gone through. Every kid has played "war" at recess as a way of romanticizing the battle. Everyone can relate to being at school and feeling that what they're learning is rubbish. I related this thought to The Giver when Jonas sees his friends playing war and has flashes of what real war is like from his memories. This quote is so powerful because it is so sad due to the loss of youth.